Existing point of sale retail management systems accept many methods of payment including cash, credit card, gift card, and even checks. With respect to cash transactions, access to a cash drawer may present security issues. More particularly, the opening of a cash drawer exposes cash to a cashier, or other user, in order to perform the steps of physically accepting cash and removing currency to provide change to the user.
In systems that do not utilize a cashier, i.e., self check-out systems, this is not as much of a problem. An example of such a system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,857,505 to Mason, et al. Such a self-service check out terminal may be operated by a customer without the aid of a check-out clerk. Accordingly, during operation of the self-service check-out terminal, the customer may scan individual items for purchase across a scanner and then place the items for purchase into a bag or other transporting device. The customer may then pay for the purchase at the check-out terminal or at a central payment area staffed by an employee. The system includes a currency dispenser that dispenses an amount of change due to a customer in response to a dispenser control signal received from the processing unit. Such a unit, however, requires currency to be deposited in a sorted fashion. In other words, a customer must insert bills into the currency dispenser one at a time.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,606,157 to Awatsu, et al, discloses a cash processing system for automatically performing cash handling operations. Such a system is generally used in connection with automated teller machines (ATM's). The system includes a detachable cash safe that holds bills for a cash transaction. The system fails, however, to allow for cash bills to be deposited in bulk and separated accordingly.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,536,664 to Nordqvist, et al, discloses a payment processing system that enables retrofitting of an existing cash register with an automatic payment processing device. The system includes a payment processing device having a currency dispenser and a data port for assessing bank notes and coins and for supplying the proper amount of change to a user. This device also suffers from the deficiency of not being able to accept cash in bulk. In other words, a user must insert bills one at a time so that the bills can be identified and routed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,079 to Brown discloses a cash register that prevents theft by restricting access to currency. The system includes a key pad for entering sales information, a currency receiving slot for receiving currency directly from a customer, an enclosed cash drawer coupled with the currency receiving slot for depositing the received currency and a currency dispensing tray responsive to the sales computing device for dispensing currency directly to the customer when the received currency amount exceeds the sales amount. Again, however, such a system does not allow a customer to deposit cash in bulk. Instead, the customer must deposit the currency individually, i.e., each bill must be deposited individually.
A point of sale terminal that accepts bank notes is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,885 to Azcua, et al. This system includes a plurality of bill trays so that a user may separate and sort bank notes prior to inserting the bank notes into the point of sale terminal. U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,016 discloses an apparatus for dispensing and receiving bank notes. Such an apparatus, however, only accepts the bank notes one at a time.
One downfall of some point of sale terminals that accept large sums of cash is that the currency contained within the currency changer device is generally not available to the proprietor until the funds are deposited into a financial institution, i.e., a bank. U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2001/0020638 by Uematsu et al. discloses a store sales proceed depositing machine that includes a deposit operation panel at one side, a storage unit for storing deposited cash, and an external communications link for notifying a cash logistics company of deposit data. This type of system is directed to the ATM field of technology to authorize cashing by confirmation of a balance in a savings account of a person withdrawing cash.
U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2007/0100750 by Hartfield et al. discloses an automatic settlement of user accounts with creditors from a transaction kiosk. The transaction kiosk collects cash from a user and electronically negotiates with a user's creditor to settle a balance on an account with the creditor. This system is directed to allowing users to pay down balances owed to creditors, i.e., credit cards, using cash, and eliminating the need to involve a person in the transaction.
It is also preferable that a housing for a currency changer device. U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2007/0274036 to Walsh et al. discloses a noise proofed ventilated air intake chamber for electronic equipment enclosures. Such a device is quite complicated as it requires for air to be supplied to the enclosure and air to be removed from the enclosure through acoustic chambers attached to the enclosure.
Access to components within a housing may be important for maintenance purposes. Several point of sale terminals and associated currency changer devices include a plurality of components carried by the housing. It may be necessary to maintain some of the components, but the components may be difficult to reach within a compact space. U.S. Pat. No. 7,367,493 to Lute et al. discloses a type of enclosure for use with an automated banking machine. The enclosure includes a rollout tray supporting upper banking machine components.